Oil cup and cover



April 1962 H. A. ANDRESEN 3,028,930

OIL cup AND COVER Filed Aug. 22, 1960 674/741? 4 All 0 6615%? Unite The present invention relates to improvements in oiler mechanisms of the type having an oil cup with a hinge cover spring-urged to closed position for covering the cup and particularly to improvements in the spring mechanism for closing the cover.

In oiler mechanisms of the above type, various arrangements have heretofore been employed for mounting the cover on the cup and for spring loading the cover to automatically snap to closed position when released. Coiled wire torsion springs have been employed but are relatively expensive to manufacture and assemble and encounter other disadvantages. Leaf springs have also been employed but a number of these have not been fully satisfactory in that they encumber the satisfactory operation of the cover and cup and encounter other structural and functional disadvantages. r

The present invention contemplates the provision of an oiler assembly employing an oil cup with a chamber therein open at the top of the cup with a cover to close the open chamber. The cover-is pivotally supported on a cup hinge plate extending rigidly rearwardly from the cup having lateral lugs which are pivotally received by openings in downwardly turned flaps on the cover. At the rear edge of the cover extends an integral cover closing spring strip. The spring strip extends downwardly and outwardly in a curvate shape to provide a force assimilating curve to prevent excessive bending where the spring joins the cover when the cover is forced beyond open position. The strip turns back upwardly in a States atent base end which engages the distal edge of' the hinge plate. The hinge plate is preferably depressed downwardly at the distal edge to bring the edge downwardly with respect to the lugs. The base end of the spring strip extends substantially to the undersurface of the cover.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved oil cup and spring closed cover assembly embodying an improved spring strip extending integrally from the cover at the rear edge thereof wherein the parts have a longer and more satisfactory operating life and are less susceptible to damage.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved spring closing strip for an oil cup cover which will not be damaged or broken when the cover is forced be yond the fully open position.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved hinge plate arrangement for supporting an oil cup cover and particularly for providing a reaction surface for a spring closing strip.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved oiler assembly utilizing a spring strip for closing the cover wherein the structural arrangement is simply and inexpensively manufactured and does not interfere with the functions of the cover or oil cup or with the mounting of the oil cup.

Other objects and advantages will become more apparent with the teaching of the principles of the invention in connection with the disclosure of the preferred embodiments thereof in the specification, claims and drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of an oiler assembly embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevational view of the oiler assembly of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the oil cup of FIG- URE 1 with the cover removed;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the oiler assembly of FIGURE 1 showing the cover in open position;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view of an oiler assembly illustrating another arrangement embodying the principles of the invention wherein the cover will remain in position when opened;

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view of the arrangement of FIGURE 5 showing the cover in closed position;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a modified form of assembly; and

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken substantially along line VIIIVIII of FIGURE 7, with parts removed.

.As shown on the drawings: 7

The embodiment of FIGURES 1 through 4 provides an oil cup wherein the cover is biased toward closed position for all positions of the cover. The embodiment of FIGURES 5 and 6 provides a cover which will remain in position when moved to the fully opened position. The oil cup has the same structure in both embodiments.

As illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 6, the oiler as sembly includes an oil cup 11 witha cover 12. The oil cup is illustrated in a preferred form as having a tubular shaped body 13 which may be formed of metal that may be drawn to the shape shown, although other materials may be used. The cover 12 may be formed of the same type of metal. Stainless steel or other sheet metals may be employed and the cup and cover may be plated or may be uncoated as the environment of the use dictates.

The cup 11 is shaped with an open lower end 14 and an opening 15 at the upper end leading to an oil chamber 16. The body 13 is of a generally hollow tubular shape and the base end 17 is of smaller diameter than the upper end 18. The base end may thus be frictionally mounted in an opening in the surface of a panel 19 or other part of a machine having a conduit or other passage leading fromthe open end 14 to an area which requires oil, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

The cover 12 has a fiat planar top portion 20 with a downturned annular edge flange 21 which extends downwardly over the upper edge of the cup to prevent foreign materials from getting into the chamber 16 within the cup. It will be noted that the pivotal support arrangement and spring arrangement for the cover 12 permits it to seat tightly on the top of the cup 11.

The front edge 22 of the cover extends over the top of the cup in closed position, as illustrated in FIGURES l, 2 and 6, and adjacent the rear edge 23 of the cover are a pair of downwardly extending flaps 24 and 25, FIG- URES 1, 2, and 4 through 6, having laterally extending openings therethrough such as shown at 26 for the flap 24.

With reference to the spring strip for closing the cover, the structure of FIGURES 1 through 4 and the structure of FIGURES 5 and 6 differ. In the structures of FIG- URES 1 through 4 and of FIGURES 5 and 6, a hinge plate 27 is mounted at the edge of the top of the cup. The hinge plate has hinge lugs 28 and 29 which extend laterally from the hinge plate and are pivotally received by the lateral openings in the flaps 24 and 25. The lug 29 is pivotally received by the opening 26 and the lug 28 is pivotally received by a similar opening, not shown, in the flap 25. This hinge arrangement permits the cover to pivot between closed position, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 6; and open position, as shown in FIGURES 4 and 5.

For urging the cover 12 to closed position over the cup, in the arrangement illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 4, a resilient cover closing spring strip 30 extends integrally from the rear edge 23 of the cover. The spring strip extends downwardly and outwardly from the cover, as illustrated in FIGURE 1, in a curvate shape in a first portion 31 extending from the rear edge of the cover 23 to the lowermost point 32 on the strip. This lowermost point 32 cf fectively provides a limiting stop by engaging the side of the cup when the cover 12 is in the fully open position, as shown in FIGURE 4.

The resilient strip is turned back upwardly from the first portion 31 to form a base or second portion 33 of the strip. The base end 34 extends substantially to the lower surface 35 of the cover 12.

The base 33 of the strip rests against a distal edge 36 of the planar hinge member 27 and the hinge member provides an effective reaction member with a reaction surface provided by the distal edge 36. This reaction surface causes the spring strip to urge the cover to closed position. The surface above the edge 36 is preferably formed slightly concave. An important feature of the edge is that it provides a reaction surface for the spring strip 30 which will always create a reaction force outside or laterally to the rear of the location where the cover is pivotally supported to urge the cover to closed position. The distal edge therefore is shaped to provide a predetermined desired reaction force and to insure that the cover will always be urged toward closed position when in the closed and partly closed positions.

A salient feature of the invention is the shaping of the first portion 31 of the spring strip so that it acts as a force assimilating curve between the point of attachment to the cover edge 23 and the base 33 of the strip. When the point 32 of the strip engages the side of the cup, a force tending to push the cover 12 beyond its open position, or in a clockwise direction as shown in FIGURE 4, will cause the strip to bend in the first portion 31. If the strip is made so that it will have a straight portion at 31 instead of an arcuate force assimilating curve, the spring strip will be overstressed or set or broken at its point of attachment to the rear edge 23 of the cover. This is prevented by the PI'0'.'ISIOI1 of the curved portion 31 since the strip will merely bend into a curve of a shorter radius by the application of a force at point 32 in the direction of the cover.

An additional safety factor preventing damage of the spring is provided by the base end 34 engaging the undersurface 35 of the cover. This provides additional support for the spring strip causing it to bend in the first and second portions 31 and 33 rather than at the point of connection to the rear edge 23 of the cover. Thus the spring strip is capable of longer life and provides protection against damage which may cause it to break or to overstress.

In the cover structure provided in FIGURES and 6, a spring strip 40 is integral with the rear edge 23 of the cover and extends downwardly in a first portion 41 forming a force assimilating curve and turns upwardly at point 42 to provide a base or second portion 43. A base end 44 extends substantially to the undersurface 35 of the cover. The first portion 41 is made somewhat longer, as may be seen in comparing FIGURES 1 and 6 so that the second portion 43 extends more vertical or further to the right in FIGURE 6. This will bring the second portion further down on the reaction surface or distal edge 36 when the cover is open. The force component between the base 43 of the spring strip and the reaction surface 36 acts substantially through the pivotal point of the cover 12 in the arrangement of FIGURES 5 and 6 so that the cover will remain stationary when fully opened. In other positions of the cover the spring strip 40 will urge it to closed position. The direction of the reaction force in the cover of FIGURES 1 through 4 remains slightly to the right of the effective pivotal point of the cover so that a force couple remains even when the cover is fully opened to urge it toward closed position. Thus the arrangement of FIGURES 5 and 6 illustrates that the principles of the spring strip may be readily adapted to use with a cover which will remain in open position when fully opened.

in each of the cover arrangements the spring strip has adequate length to provide a good biasing force for urging the cover to closed position and yet does not extend sufiiciently far beyond the cover so as to interfere with the mounting surface 19.

As a brief summary of operation, in the embodiment of FIGURES 1 through 4, the cover 12 is moved from the closed position of FIGURE 1, to the open position of FIGURE 4 for placing oil in the cup 11. The resilient strip 30 engages the reaction surface 36 with its base 33 to urge the cover to closed position. If the cover is forced beyond the open position of FIGURE 4, the base end 34 will provide support for the spring by engaging the undersurface of the cover 35 and the arcuate force assimilating curve of the first portion 31 of the strip will bend preventing damage to the spring and particularly preventing damage where the spring is attached at the rear edge 23 of the cover.

FIGURE 7 shows a modified form of oil cup cover wherein a spring strip 45 is attached to a cover 47. The spring strip is somewhat straighter than the arrangements of FIGURES 4 through 6 but an arcuate bend is formed at 46 where the strip attaches to the cover and this prevents the strip from breaking at the point of attachment to the cover. The strip 45 bends upwardly at a point 49 and the second portion 48 turns upwardly to extend substantially to the undersurface of the cover 47. In the preferred size relationship the strip has a length so that the point 49 extends down to substantially the horizontal level of the lower edge of the flap 24'. In this arrangement the major portion of the spring tension which urges the cover shut (when it is in closed position) is borne by the first or outer portion 50 of the spring strip 45 between the point 49 and the arcuate portion 46. When the cover is in open position however the spring load is shared between the point 49 and the point of curvature 46 in a substantially equal tension at each point. The second portion 48 of the spring strip extends more closely to the hinge plate 27', but is never at an angle so that its upper end engages the flat surface of the plate 27 and the point of engagement will always remain at the distal edge 36 of the plate 27. The outer portion of the strip 45 in being flatter takes up less space than with the other arrangements.

In the arrangement shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, a preferred form of binge plate 27 is shown. The hinge plate is fiat and is originally cut or formed with an outwardly extending or curved distal edge 36'. This curvature moves the distal edge 36 outwardly so that the reaction surface provided thereby for the spring strip is moved outwardly.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided an improved oiler assembly meeting the objectives and advantages hereinabove set forth. The construction and the spring strip is arranged so that it can be simply and inexpensively made without providing expensive dies and no sharp bends are provided in the resilient cover closing strip.

The cover can be pushed fully into a supporting surface without impairing the effective operation of the cover closing spring strip or the cover. In addition to providing a means for closing the cover, the spring strips 30 and 40 provide a convenient surface for pushing the cover closed and if the operator has foreign materials on his fingers or on the oil can spout they can be engaged against the spring and the foreign materials or dirt will not fall into the cup. The pressure on the spring will be readily assimilated without overstressing or setting the spring strip.

The drawings and specification present a detailed disclosure of the preferred embodiments of the invention, and it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific forms disclosed, but covers all modifications, changes and alternative constructions and methods falling within the scope of the principles taught by the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. An oiler assembly comprising an oil cup defining an oil chamber therein with an opening, a pivotal cover for closing said chamber opening, means pivotally mounting the cover on said cup for pivotal movement about its rear edge with the front edge extending over said opening, a resilient cover closing spring strip having an arcuate portion extending downwardly from the rear of the cover in a continuous curve extending to the lower end of the strip and shaped to bend along its length with the application of force toward the cover to prevent excessive bending at the cover, said strip having a base end continuing from said arcuate portion, and a stationary reaction member having a reaction surface engaged by the base end of the strip urging the cover toward closed position, said reaction surface positioned with respect to the pivotal mounting means for the cover so that the cover will be urged toward closed position in all positions of the cover.

2. An oiler assembly comprising an oil cup with an oil chamber therein having an opening, a cover for closing said chamber opening, a hinge plate attached to the cup and projecting rearwardly from said chamber opening, hinge lugs extending laterally from the hinge plate, flaps extending downwardly from the cover with openings pivotally receiving said hinge lugs, and a resilient cover closing strip extending from the rear edge of the cover with a first portion turned downwardly from the cover and a second portion turned upwardly to engage the distal edge of the hinge plate, said hinge plate being formed with a concave upper surface at the distal edge to shift the distal edge downwardly with respect to the hinge lugs.

3. An oiler assembly comprising an oil cup defining an oil chamber therein with an opening, a pivotal cover for closing said chamber opening, means pivotally mounting the cover on said cup for pivotal movement about its rear edge with the front edge extending Over said opening, a resilient cover closing spring strip having a first portion extending from the rear edge in a downwardly and outwardly curved shape with a force assimilating curve between the point of attachment to the cover and the base of the strip and turned back upwardly toward the cover in a second portion, said force assimilating curve extending continuously from the cover to the lowermost point of the strip and being sufiiciently large so that bending will occur substantially uniformly over the curve and cases excessive bending will not occur at the point of connection of the strip to the cover, the lowermost point of the strip between said two portions engageable with the side of the oil cup in open position of the cover, said force assimilating curved portion of the strip preventing setting or permanent bendirn at the point of connection of the strip to the cover due to forces applied at said lowermost point of the strip as the strip engages the side of the cup, and a stationary reaction member having a surface facing away from the cup engaged by the second portion of the strip so that the strip will resiliently force said cover to a closed position.

4, An oiler assembly comprising an oil cup defining an oil chamber therein with a chamber opening, a cover for closing said chamber opening, means pivotally mounting the cover on said cup for pivotal movement about its rear edge with the front edge extending over said opening in a closed position, a reaction member on said cup, and a resilient closing strip extending downwardly from the rear of the cover in a first portion and turned back upwardly in a second portion with the end of the second portion extending to the lower surface of the cover to engage said lower surface providing a support for the resilient strip, said second portion engaging the reaction member to resiliently urge the cover toward closed position.

5. An oiler assembly comprising an oil cup defining an oil chamber therein with an opening, a pivotal cover for closing said chamber opening, means pivotally mounting the cover on said cup for pivotal movement about its rear edge with the front edge extending over said opening, a resilient cover closing spring strip having an arcuate portion extending downwardly from the rear of the cover and shaped to bow outwardly with the application of force toward the cover to prevent excessive bending at the cover, said strip having a base end continuing from said arcuate portion and turned upwardly to extend to the lower surface of the cover to engage the cover so that the strip will be supported, and a stationary reaction member engaged by the base end of the strip so that the strip will resiliently force said cover toward closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

